Updates on Demi Lovato’s health and recovery from her 2018 drug overdose

Demi Lovato isn’t sugarcoating the reality of addiction. The “Cool For the Summer” singer revealed in an interview that she still struggles with her vision and hearing nearly five years after her heroin overdose.

“I wouldn’t change my path because I don’t have any regrets,” the 30-year-old singer said during a 2023 appearance on Sirius XM’s Andy Cohen Show, according to Billboard. “When I think about things, my biggest regret is the overdose… that overdose caused me a lot… it actually caused me a disability. I still have visual and hearing impairments to this day.”

Demi, who uses she/her and they/them pronouns, also said they have blind spots in their vision and are unable to drive as a result. “It’s a daily constant reminder. You know, every time I look at something, I get blind spots in my eyes when I look at your face,” Demi told Andy Cohen. “And so it’s a constant reminder to stay on track because I never want this to happen again.”

Here’s more information about Demi’s journey with addiction and her recovery.

Demi overdosed on heroin on July 24, 2018.

Demi’s assistant, Jordan Jackson, found the “Anyone” singer unresponsive that July day, according to PEOPLE. Demi said she was rushed to the hospital where she was prescribed Narcan, a rescue drug for opioid overdose. TMZ. Then law enforcement agencies also told the publication that it appeared to be a heroin overdose.

By mid-afternoon, Demi responded. “Demi is awake and with her family wants to thank everyone for their love, prayers and support. Some of the information reported is incorrect and they respectfully request privacy,” Demi’s rep shared in a statement to TMZ while.

The singer tried a lot of drugs in the months before his overdose.

In Demi’s 2017 YouTube documentary: It’s just difficult the former Disney Channel star revealed they tried cocaine at age 17. “I was with a couple of friends and they introduced me to this drug,” Demi said. “I was scared because my mom always told me that your heart might just break if you do it, but I did it anyway. And I liked it.”

Demi later admitted that she tried a variety of drugs in the months before her overdose. One night, Demi mixed meth, Molly, weed, alcohol and OxyContin. PEOPLE. “That alone should have killed me,” she said. Soon after, the singer tried crack cocaine and heroin.

In 2021, the singer shared her experience in a documentary on YouTube.

V Dancing with the DevilThe singer-actor and his family spoke openly about the overdose. At one point, Demi even shared that they would “just say everything,” adding that the production team could take anything out if they decided not to use it.

Michael D. Ratner, both directors Dancing with the Devil and produced it together with his company OBB Media, said Hollywood Reporter in 2021, what people think happened the night of Demi’s overdose is “probably quite far from what she actually did.”

“What hasn’t been documented are the details of (their) lives leading up to that night… we’re giving you the opportunity to get the full picture here,” he said.

In the documentary, one of Demi’s friends, Sira Mitchell, said she was given heroin “laced with fentanyl.” PEOPLE. Mitchell added that Demi’s drug dealer “ended up drugging (Demi) really high and leaving (them) for dead.”

Demi also said in the doc that their dealer attacked them after they got high. However, it took Demi a while to realize what had actually happened. “When they found me, I was naked and blue. I was literally left for dead after he took advantage of me,” Demi said, but PEOPLE. “When I woke up in the hospital, they asked me if we had consensual sex. I had one flash when he was above me. I saw that flash and said yes. It was only a month after the overdose that I realized: “You were in no condition to make a consensus decision.”

In April 2021, Demi sang about her substance abuse and overdose on Dancing with the Devil.

Shortly after the doc’s release, Demi sang about her substance abuse and overdose in her 2021 single “Dancing with the Devil.” In the video, Demi sings in a hospital bed.

“I told you I was fine, but I lied. I was dancing with the devil, out of control. Almost made it to heaven, it was closer than you think,” Demi shared in the song’s lyrics.

That same year, Demi said they were “thankful” to be alive.

Demi’s overdose made them “realize that every day is a day that someone else doesn’t get,” the singer said. TMZ live in April 2021. “Every day that I’m here on this earth is a day that I need to count my blessings and just be grateful and grateful for it.”

Demi also said that realizing this inspired and pushed them to do even more with their lives. “It makes me want to live the best life I can live, knowing that others didn’t have the same chance that I did,” Demi said.

The “Sorry Not Sorry” singer also shared with TMZ live they have “survivor’s guilt,” especially after learning about rapper DMX’s overdose. (If you’re not familiar with the term, survivor’s guilt is a mental state that can occur when someone feels guilty because they experienced a traumatic event when others did not.)

“Every time I see someone who has overdosed or even passed away in the public eye, I immediately think, ‘That could have been you if you hadn’t put all that work into the last couple years of your life.’ , said the singer. . “Sometimes I even talked about survivor’s guilt because you ask yourself, why am I still here? “Why don’t others?”

Demi added that survivor’s guilt is “hard to overcome.”

In 2021, Demi explained that they turned to drugs as a means of survival.

On an episode of Diana Guerrero’s podcast Yeah, no, I’m not okay Demi opened up about the mental health issues that led to her overdose. AND! News. “I was looking at people in the media and just comparing myself, not feeling good enough, not feeling thin enough, and wondering how it was that these people lived lives that seemed so perfect, but at the same time I It hurt so much,” Demi said. “And when I came into the spotlight, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s not perfect here, nobody has a perfect life, it’s just the way it looks.’

Demi explained that they used drugs to cope with the stress of social life and suicidal thoughts. “In the same way (my addiction) almost killed me, at times it saved my life because there were times when I had suicidal thoughts,” Demi said. “And if I had gone ahead with that at that moment rather than another destructive coping mechanism, I wouldn’t be here to tell my story.”

Demi also revealed on the podcast that they “turned to these coping mechanisms because I was really in so much pain that I didn’t want to die and I didn’t know what else to do.”

After her overdose, Demi turned to other resources, such as therapy: “Sometimes I did the best I could, and now that I have other tools and other resources, I know how else to cope and how else to cope so I don’t have to again resort to such behavior.”

Demi became very ill after the overdose and is still struggling with the effects.

After the overdose, Demi had three strokes and a heart attack. “My doctors said I have another five to ten minutes,” they said in Dancing with the Devil documentary. Demi’s oxygen levels were dangerously low and falling, impairing their vision.

“I was left with brain damage and I’m still dealing with the effects of that,” Demi told The Associated Press in February 2021. “I don’t drive because I have blind spots in my vision. It was also very difficult for me to read for a long time. “I feel like they’re still here to remind me of what could happen if I ever go to a dark place again.”

Demi added that she is “grateful” for these “reminders” and needs intense emotional therapy to help with her recovery. “I worked hard after that, but not physically,” they said.

In July 2023, Demi shared new details of her recovery.

In an interview on Radio Andy, Demi revealed she still had difficulty seeing and even had blind spots when looking at Andy while he was sitting in front of her. She also still struggled with hearing loss.

Despite these physical obstacles, Demi shared that she has a positive outlook on life. “Fortunately, in the state of mind that I’m in now—you know, being sovereign, having a clear head—I’m just thinking (I’m) in a more positive mental space and not focusing on shame at all. – Demi said. “I know I have a lot of empathy for where I was at the time and the choices I made and I understand why it happened and what happened, but there’s no shame in it because it was just life a lesson I learned.” learn.’

She also informed fans of her decision to transition from “sober Kayfornia” to full sobriety in her September 2023 appearance on the channel. The Howard Stern Show. (California sobriety is a lifestyle in which people abstain from drinking alcohol but continue to use marijuana.)

“The key for me was abstinence,” Demi said, adding that they “smoked a lot of weed and took edibles, sometimes 300 milligrams at a time.”

Demi said they ultimately saw it as a safe substitute for their addiction and decided that quitting all substances was the best path for them.